As a young girl I dreamed of being on Broadway.
I planned to move to New York with a girlfriend in my early 20's.
{I got a communications degree and became a high school English teacher instead.}
I met an amazing stage director and musician and fell head over heels.
He asked me to marry him on our second date. I was 26.
We had beautiful babies. Lots and lots of beautiful babies.
My girlfriend asked me, "What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"
Capture beauty through my lens.
Life is precious. I'm only guarenteed this moment. And I'd rather fail at something I LOVE than succeed at something I could take or leave. Life in a nutshell.
I know who I am. I know whose I am. And His plans for me are far greater than I could ask or imagine.
I. love. life.
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to visit my former blog "through the lens.
Urban jib. Did we have the guts? Because the stone inclines on campus were tempting . . . and he had his snowboard. . . . and Raven’s training camp was filtering out. Did we? or did we follow the rules?
Rob’s a fascinating mix of urban funk and intellectualism that makes him a study. His dream is to be a Hokie engineer. I have no doubt that guy is full of all sorts of hopes and dreams. He plays his cards kinda’ close, but I got a little glimpse. And he’s going places.
Nice, nice guy, that Rob.
He has a freak flag. A big one that’s constantly whipping around him wherever he goes. That’s why he’s one that I’m drawn to in a whole room of people. He always has a kind word. He’s always game for a new adventure. He’s always coloring outside the lines . . . in a beautiful way.
Jono is a breath of fresh air. You’ll see why.
Serious musical chops. No kiddin.
Notice diving board. You can guess where this one went!
Jono’s also a photographer. He’s really good- out there on FB all the time with the coolest shots.
Thanks, Jono, for letting me do your senior shots. You ROCK. Really.
I have a rich history with this one. On its pages live the night that I did house laps with her on my hip . . . she screamed so loud the whole time, the neighbors knocked on the door to check on our safety. I was 38 weeks pregnant at the time with my first baby. oh, the terror.
On its other pages live the kindergarten Christmas pageant . . . the one where Rachel stood on the front step, oblivious to the singing happening around her, but participated in her own little production, dancing and lifting her dress to her waist.
But here’s what I know. She’s a smart cookie. She’s read all of Austen, Rivers, Kingsbury, and the like.
She has BIG dreams. And she’s not afraid to take the steps to bring them to fruition, with a trust in Jesus that allows her to soar without a safety net.
On stage, she’s MAGIC. One of the few people that makes me laugh so hard I cry.
She’s Giselle. You know, from Enchanted . . . the way that she sees the best in her peeps, embraces life, and turn lemons in limoncello cheesecake.
She’s my girl. Well, she’s my beautiful sister’s girl, but Nance and I have always kinda shared identities, so she’s MY girl.
She’s a girl after my own heart. She wants to be an English teacher, loves to sing and plays a mean game of soccer. She loves middle school aged kids, loves her brothers and loves God. Kayla’s the beautiful daughter of my dear friend from high school, Vicki Becker (nee Orndoff). Vicki and her man, Greg, met on vacation, fell in love and never looked back. Kayla is the eldest of their three children. And Kayla has the same mischievous spirit that her mom did in high school. I see it in her eyes and in those big dreams.
Kayla will be a senior in Bridgewater, Virginia this fall.
You are beautiful Kayla. I’ll tell you every time I see you. oxox
I’ve watched Rachel kill year after year on the volleyball court. I’ve watched her tread those stage boards in production after production. And every single time I’ve ever seen her, she’s had a smile on her face.
During our senior session, I asked her to wipe that smile right off her face. So gorgeous.
We went to Rachel’s family’s vacation home in historic Glyndon for her senior shoot. Five minutes from my studio and I never knew it was there, tucked back in among the old, huge summer homes that line the streets, this little old Methodist church camp/ hotel is like a village plucked out of the turn of the century. I fell in love. I seriously want to move there- for real.
My favorite part of the evening? Watching Rachel and her big sis, Kristen play. They definitely have each other’s backs.
How’s that for Americana? Beautiful.
It’s like one continual kindergarten reunion these days. Andrew was another of the boys in that Faith Christian kindergarten class. And all these years later, he’s on the cusp of beginning his training as a networking facilitator. Pretty cool to see how those “leanings” that presented as a bright eyed five year old have grown into a gift set that is completely ordained.
His thought process is razor sharp . . . he’ll go far. That’s why I’m so glad that he balances it all out with his fishing rod and a peaceful spot. I have a feeling that time will become gold to him as time presses forward.
It was fun with Andrew. Only one of us went into the water that day. And we both laughed. Hard.
He works two jobs, reads primary sources for fun, and dreams of working for Pixar . . . after all, somebody’s gotta do it! He’s is one of those guys who knows who he is and lives out his days at full throttle. He’s a gem, that Nathan.
I always LOVE to capture a mother/ son shot at the end of a senior session. I think the way a guy interacts with his mom says an awful lot about who he is at his core. This guy’s a winner.
When I saw the smile in his eyes, I knew it was not the first time I had seen that glimmer. Rewind . . . all the way to kindergarten at Faith Christian School, where Cory, my son Daniel and my niece Rachel all arrived, uniforms pressed, book bags loaded.
Cory kinda grew up. Now he’s into football, fitness and his shiny Soul. Still the nicest guy you’d ever want to meet . . . with hope in his eyes of dreams on down the road. . . a Hokie engineer. . . and he’s got the keys to get there.
Code name . . . Demon.
View Cory’s entire gallery here.
Where are you going?
Where have you been?
Consider well what you want your senior portraits say about you. Your senior session is your chance to express your unique personality and distinct passions. Right here. Right now. Your location, your wardrobe and your props are all an important part of expressing your beautiful self to the world.
What do you want to say?
Here’s what you get for $199.
Sixty minute photo session on location
Unlimited wardrobe changes/ poses
Blog feature with images to post to Facebook or share with your friends
Online gallery to order a la carte items
2 photos completely retouched to be used for ordering final prints
Book your session by June 1st and receive an additional 8 wallets
443.844.2352
Before I ever met Hannah, she had been deemed “a force of nature,” by our mutual friend, Jude.
Here’s what I knew. She loves acting. She’s a redhead. And she’s full of personality.
So, five minutes into the shoot, I said, “Hey, Hannah. Could you start dancing?”
. . . without missing a beat, she twirled, bounced, and leapt on the spot.
I knew it would be a totally FUN senior session.
Indian summer. Historic Ellicot City. Hannah Jefferson.
Sweet. Life.
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